Gary and Eevee: The Bond of Trainer and Pokémon
by Spitfire52
Summary: Gary has learned quite a bit about Pokemon training even the hard way. Traveling through the Johto region, Gary also learns that forming a friendly bond with Pokemon is also key to being a great trainer rather than just strength alone. What will it take for him to realize this?
1. Chapter 1 Welcome to Johto, Gary

***This story is going to be focusing on the character, Gary Oak and his Eevee evolving into Umbreon. Since we never saw Eevee actually evolve into Umbreon, it is left to our imaginations why Eevee evolved in the first place. In the anime, there are many reasons why Pokémon evolve. Since an Eevee needs a high level of friendship with its trainer to evolve into Umbreon, I believe friendship was a key factor with Gary's Eevee. **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. ***

A young trainer stood confident taking in this new region called Johto. He absorbed his surroundings taking in any sights of any new Pokémon he might suddenly encounter or any opponents worthy to battle. He had overly spiky auburn hair, wore a purplish blue shirt, jeans and tan boots. He also wore a blue and green pendant necklace. His name was Gary Oak.

Gary smiled confidently. He felt ready for whatever the Johto region brought him. He enjoyed traveling by himself. Sometimes it would get lonely traveling alone, but he felt it was crucial to focus on his training methods and learn and grow from them. He felt there was so much he needed to learn about Pokémon, and the best way to do that was by traveling alone. It gave him a sense of newfound confidence. Those cheerleaders that accompanied him back in Kanto were just a false sense of confidence. Gary was hesitant to admit this, but it was true. Besides, he wasn't really lonely. He reached for a Poke ball.

With a flash of white light, an Eeevee appeared.

"Okay, Eeevee! We're in a new region with new Pokémon to battle, so we have to really train if we're going to continue to be any good."

Eevee wagged its tail excitingly. This Eevee seemed to have the same confident nature its trainer had.

Eevee had a vast amount of energy just waiting to be unleashed in a Pokémon battle. Its fur was soft and shiny meaning that it was well taken care of. Gary had to admit, Eevee was quite cute even though he really wasn't into how cute a Pokémon looked. Strength was more important than looks as far as he was concerned.

"Okay, Eevee! Let's start out by working on your tackle attack!" Gary said. He figured a Pokémon would have to be agile and swift to pull off a notable tackle attack. So, Gary decided to work on Eevee's speed. He pointed out a wide grass area. "Run as fast as you can to that tree over there. I'll time you. After that, run back to try and beat your record. Go!"

"Eevee!" Eevee took off with a mad dash as dirt and grass flew. Eevee ran as fast as it could. It focused on its trainer's orders thoroughly wanting to make its trainer proud. Eevee reached the tree, paused for just a few seconds, and ran back just a bit faster than the first time. It stood in front of Gary and wagged its tail happily.

Gary patted Eevee's head. "That was awesome, Eevee! You did ten seconds the first time, and then seven seconds the last time. We'll just keep working hard with training and focusing on your attacks and your agility."

"Eevee!"

Gary took out another Poke ball. This time, an arcanine appeared. It too appeared strong and well trained.

"Alright, you two! Let's get down with some training! Arcanine, use fire blast on Eevee! Eevee, dodge it!"

Arcanine and Eevee stood confident facing each other like rivals both determined to win. Arcanine geared up to let out a powerful fire blast. Eevee did not hesitate to shift to the side dodging the canine pokemon's fire attack.

"Good job, Eevee! Arcanine, you too!" Gary said. "Now Eevee, use skull bash on Arcanine and Arcanine, dodge that attack!"

Eevee stepped back preparing for a skull bash attack. As Eevee charged, Arcanine was ready to dodge. Eevee was so close to landing a successful attack but Arcanine had dodged Eevee's attack just in the knick of time.

After a few hours of training with Eevee and Arcanine, Gary was a bit tired from training and knew that Eevee and Arcanine must have been tired too. He sat down in the grass, reached into his knapsack and pulled out a bag of Pokémon food and two dishes.

"Okay, Eevee and Arcanine. I'm sure you must be hungry," Gary said pouring the food into the dish.

Eevee munched on the Pokémon food right away. So did Arcanine.

Gary shrugged and pulled out a sandwich from his knapsack. He had to admit he was bit hungry. He sat with Eevee and Arcanine by his side as they all enjoyed their lunch enjoying the views that Johto had to offer.

Looking off into the distance, he thought about his journey in the Johto region and what was waiting for him there. He reflected on what he had learned in Kanto. It was a hard pill to swallow, but he had been far too arrogant back in Kanto. He thought he had what it took to wipe out any trainer in the Indigo Plateau. He was wrong, and he realized that he had a lot to learn about Pokémon training.

He remembered one particular trainer. It was his rival, Ash Ketchum. That guy was so far behind! Had he even gotten to Johto yet? Gary smirked but thought about his rather snobby comment. He had to give Ash credit though. He had to admit; the guy really cared for his Pokémon and was actually a decent trainer. Ash believed in forming a strong bond with one's Pokémon. He glanced over at Arcanine, then over at Eevee. The little Pokémon wagged its tail content as it ate its food. Forming a friendly bond with his Pokémon, huh? Gary undeniably cared for his Pokémon, but he didn't see the point in being best friends.


	2. Chapter 2 Eevee, I Choose You

As tough and overconfident a trainer that he was, Gary actually liked to take a breather every now and then and reflect. He wondered how his friend and rival Ash Ketchum was doing. He had known Ash for a long time ever since they were small. They would hang out around Pallet town and even go see a few movies. Gary felt a pang of guilt. He hadn't really been the greatest person towards Ash ever since they started to become Pokémon trainers. He put Ash down a lot and was always ridiculing him for his incompetence.

Gary shrugged off the guilty feeling. Oh well. He had a lot to learn himself. He definitely wasn't the same trainer he was back in Kanto. He looked down at Eevee and thought about his other Pokémon like Nidoqueen and Arcanine. He wasn't going to make the same mistakes that he made back in Kanto. His arrogance had blinded him and now he was slowly but surely starting to see that he had a long ways to go. Now, that he was slowly becoming more humble as a trainer, he even considered a passing thought. Perhaps, he could learn a thing or two from old Ashy boy. Gary smirked at the idea. He still had quite a bit of pride in him. What kind of training skills did Ash know that Gary could possibly learn and benefit from?

 _Having Pokémon as friends is so important. If you take the time to get to know your Pokémon and treat them as friends, they'll understand that you really care about them. Without a strong bond with your Pokémon, all you have is strength and that's not enough._ Gary remembered Ash saying this numerous times.

Hmmph! Gary stood up. As a serious trainer, it was time to move on. "I don't need to form a friendship with any of my Pokémon. All of my Pokémon are healthy, strong and in tiptop shape. We don't have time to worry about becoming friends. We have more important things to focus on. Right, Eevee?"

Eevee tilted its head and looked at its trainer. Eevee always knew that Gary cared a great deal about his Pokémon but he just didn't believe in the importance of forming a friendly bond. Sometimes, all Gary wanted to do was train and battle. This was no issue for Eevee. It loved training and battling with its trainer. Eevee was becoming more and more strong each day thanks to Gary. However, Eevee wished that Gary would at least consider putting in more trainer and Pokémon bonding time. Eevee wanted Gary to treat it as a best friend, to talk to it more like a friend, and show how much he cared for his Pokémon.

Eevee circled around and rubbed its face against Gary's pants leg. Of course, Eevee couldn't talk to its trainer but it could at least hint its opinion. "Eevee!" it said in a sweet friendly voice.

Gary smiled and gave Eevee a few quick pats on the head. Gary wasn't the kind of person to really show his emotions. "Okay, Eevee. We better get going. We have a long journey ahead of us." Gary took out Eevee's Poke ball and pushed the center button. With a flash of white light, Eevee returned.

With his knapsack swung over his shoulder, Gary walked confidently on down the path. He thought about his battling tactics. He thought about which different types had the advantage against other types. He thought about any situation he and his Pokémon might possibly face in a Pokémon battle. He wasn't a trainer that preferred just one type of Pokémon. He had a whole variety of Pokémon. Depending on what Eevee was going to evolve into, his team was only going to get more diverse.

Gary had caught Eevee back in Kanto with the help of his Nidoqueen. It was full of so much energy that it actually escaped once from the Poke ball. Gary was pleased. This little Pokémon had spunk! Gary was sure that this Eevee would make a great addition to his team. After successfully capturing Eevee, Gary had spent a decent amount of time training it along with his other Pokémon. Eevee had eventually become Gary's go to Pokémon for when he faced other traveling trainers in a Pokémon battle.

Focused now on his journey through the Johto region, Gary had put the idea of treating Pokémon as friends to the back of his mind.

Over in the near distance approaching, he could see another trainer. Gary smirked at the opportunity for a battle. He hoped this was a decently strong trainer. He really didn't have time to waste on incompetent trainers who didn't take Pokémon training or battles seriously. Gary loved a good challenge.

As the prospective trainer started to pass by him, Gary spoke out to him. "Hey, you wouldn't be here training so you can enter the Silver Conference, would you?"

The trainer froze and back up to face Gary. "Well, as a matter of fact, yes." The trainer thought a second and added. "I'm hoping by the end of my travels, my Pokémon will only get even more stronger."

Gary was eager to see just how strong these Pokémon were. "Hmm, let's see how strong they really are. I'd like to challenge you to a Pokémon battle!"

The trainer was surprised but only for a second. He grinned. "You're on!"

"How about a one on one battle using only our best Pokémon." Gary said. As Gary said this, he debated which Pokémon he was going to use himself. All of his Pokémon were decently strong and deserved every chance to be in a Pokémon battle. Even thought he wouldn't admit it, Gary did have a few favorite Pokémon on his team. One of which was…

"Eevee! I choose you!"

With a flash from its Poke ball, Eevee appeared and stood beside its trainer.

"Okay, Eevee," Gary said. "This is your first Pokémon battle in a new region. Depending on what Pokémon our opponent uses, we may be battling against a Pokémon you have never battled against. It is important to pay close attention as always to your opponent's attacks."

Eevee nodded with determination in its eyes. It crouched down like a little lion ready for whatever came its way.

The fellow trainer took out a Poke ball and gave it a throw. "Houndour, it's time to battle!"

"Houndour, huh?" Gary said. He had never battled a trainer with a Houndour before. This trainer's Houndour looked strong and well raised. Gary hoped that the battle would prove it too.

"You're Houndour looks really strong!" Gary said complimenting the trainer. "I'll let you start the battle with the first move. That doesn't mean me and my Eevee are going to take it easy on you and your Houndour!"

Gary patiently waited for his opponent to begin. He knew that Houndour was a duel type – dark and fire. That meant that it had the capability of using not just dark type moves but fire type moves as well.

"Houndour, use feint attack!" Using its dark type move, Houndour charged towards Gary's Eevee and disappeared temporarily from Eevee's view.

"Don't let your guard down Eevee! That's Houndour's feint attack!" Gary called out.

Suddenly Houndour appeared behind Eevee rather that in front where it had been before.

"Dodge it!" Always the one to think carefully and strategically, Gary kept his focus ahead of his opponent. So, this trainer was using his Houndour to distract Eevee. Gary was not about to let Eevee leave its guard down.

"You're Eevee's quicker than it looks," the trainer commented.

"We're just warming up," Gary said. "This is nothing. Okay, Eevee! Tackle!"

Just like with training, Eevee ran as fast as it could towards its opponent. Anyone watching would have just seen a brown blur flash by. Houndour fell back by Eevee's tackle attack. It was effective but not effective enough to totally knock Houndour out of the competition.

Houndour stood back up and waited for its trainer's next command. "Houndour let's show them what else we have up our sleeves. Use flamethrower!"

Houndour prepared for a raging flamethrower.

Gary knew that he had to think quickly yet efficiently. This opponent knew what he was doing. Gary and Eevee had a few tricks up their sleeves as well.

"Eevee, double team."

Just like that, Houndour was completely surrounded by Eevees. It growled in frustration.

"Only one of them is the real one," the trainer said. Gary could see that this trainer was frantically trying to think of a good attack to use to foil Eevee's double team.

The trainer took a deep breath. "Houndour, hit each one with ember!"

Houndour swept in a full circle with its ember attack. One by one, it was apparent that the Eevees that were being hit with ember was just an illusion. By the time, the ember attack had gotten to the real Eevee, Eevee had already dodged it.

Gary was determined to end this battle. "Let's finish this off with skull bash." Eevee lowered its head and charged toward Houndour. Before Eevee could successfully hit its opponent with skull bash, Houndour's trainer quickly commanded the next move.

"Houndour, use your feint attack one more time." This time Houndour appeared in directly beside Eevee. Eevee went to face it but it had already re appeared in front of Eevee.

 _So, this trainer's using another feint attack. Gary thought._

Before Gary could tell Eevee the next attack, their opponent stepped forward.

"Houndour, use flamethrower!" the opponent said this with a strong sense of confidence.

Houndour swiftly hurled a decently powerful flamethrower. It left no time for Eevee to dodge it. The normal type Pokémon fell back hard into the dirt.

Gary stepped forward. "Eevee, try to get back up and use your tackle attack!"

Eevee struggled to get back up, but Houndour's quick agility and clever sneak attacks had caught it off guard. Eevee fell back in defeat.

Gary sighed. Still, he was proud of his Eevee. It had battled hard and was ahead of its opponent until the very end.

"You were awesome, Eevee!" Gary said. "Now return."

Gary faced the fellow trainer. He offered a handshake. "Thanks a lot for the challenging battle. I must admit, I didn't think you and your Houndour were going to win. That surprise feint attack really caught me off guard."

The trainer accepted. "Thank you. It is my Houndour's strongest attack. I can't wait for the day it evolves into an even powerful Houndoom. Your Eevee wasn't easy to beat though."

Gary nodded. It was time to be moving on now as he and the other trainer went his own way. It was starting to get late and the sun was starting to set. It was time to think of a place to set up camp.

Gary noticed a log at the edge of the path and sat down for a quick break. Hmm, it just goes to show that training Pokémon and working on their strength is far more important than forming a friendly bond. Friendship was rather pointless. The Pokémon really didn't care, did they? The most formidable trainers surely didn't believe in forming friendly bonds with their Pokémon. Therefore, Gary wasn't about to start either.


	3. Chapter 3 Nighttime Talks

The air had turned noticeably and comfortably cooler as night approached. The campfire glowed and flickered in the night. After pouring Pokémon food equally into dishes, Gary called out his Pokémon one by one.

Arcanine, Nidoqueen, Nidoking, Dodrio, Blastoise, and Eevee.

"Okay, dinner time, everyone. I bet everyone here is hungry. Especially you, Eevee, with that battle today." Gary said.

Eevee proceeded to the Pokémon food just like the others. Eevee thought about what its trainer had said. Gary didn't seem too disappointed in Eevee for losing the battle. Eevee did its best in battle but that Houndour's attacks were too unpredictable for it. Still, Gary had praised it on a job well done. That meant that Gary was still proud of his Eevee. Content with this thought, Eevee started munching on its dinner with the others.

Gary ate a bowl of soup as his Pokémon ate their dinner. The stars and the moon started to appear in the sky. After dinner, Gary thought it was wise for him and his Pokémon to get a good night's rest. A fully rested mind was crucial for both trainer and Pokémon.

"Well, everyone, we have another long day ahead of us. So let's all try and get some sleep so we can be ready for even more training tomorrow."

With a few yawns, Gary's Pokémon returned for the night. Gary himself got ready for sleep. As he lay in his sleeping bag, his mind shifted to the events of that day. That Houndour that Eevee had battled against was strong and slick. Deep down though, he believed his Eevee could have been more agile and just as slick. He knew how quick his Eevee was. That trainer earlier today had even commented Eevee on its speed. Gary had seen Eevee do better in battle in the past like when he had battled Ash before heading out to Johto. Eevee was phenomenal. Then again, it really wasn't all that hard to beat Ash Ketchum.

Perhaps Eevee just wasn't feeling itself. Eevee probably just needed a good night's rest like the others. He would just continue to train with Eevee and the others tomorrow morning.

Gary shifted his mind to the new Johto region. What events would he run into in this new region? He thought about his experiences in Kanto and the kind of trainer he was before. That led to other thoughts. He turned over and sat up. He sighed. It was no use going to sleep right now with so much on his mind.

He walked over to a rock that looked out over a wide spacious field. He decided to sit down for a bit and just look. Look and reflect. Gary preferred the night. Out here by the forest, especially, it was quiet. Only the cries of the nocturnal Pokémon could be heard. A Hoothoot called out in a tree somewhere. A Zubat fluttered across the night sky. He loved the solitude of the night. Actually, he discovered since deciding to travel alone, he enjoyed his own company. Just him and his Pokémon. He would just sit here for a bit and enjoy the night.

Gary reflected on his time back in Kanto. He thought about how he desperately needed to change if he was going to do any better in the Johto League. Before, when he lost in the Indigo League, he had brushed his devastation off by saying that he had been distracted by all the cheering from his fans. The truth was that he had strolled into the Indigo League with a big ego not being fully prepared for the competition. He could finally admit, just like any sensible trainer, that he had a lot to learn. Gary promised to improve any way he could as a trainer.

As Gary stared out into the night, he caught sight of a bright flash of white light glowing from his knapsack. He quickly looked over in surprise. There stood his Eevee.

"Oh, Eevee? What are you doing up?" Gary asked a bit surprised to see that the little Pokémon decided to release itself from its Poke ball.

"Eevee!" It greeted its trainer.

Gary grinned. "Couldn't sleep either, huh?"

Eevee just wagged its tail and looked up at Gary.

"Well, since you're up, might as well enjoy the view." Gary leaned back to look up at the sky. "Just look at the stars, Eevee. And look! There's a full moon too!"

Gary thought for a moment before he spoke again. "Hey, Eevee? About that battle earlier today – you were great, but I have a feeling something was up. I've seen you do a lot better in battle than that."

Eevee just looked down at the rock they were sitting on. It was true. Eevee wasn't itself today. Just like, Gary had quite a bit on his mind, so did Eevee. The truth was that Eevee wished it had more of a bond with its trainer. Eevee cared about what Gary felt and wanted Gary to do the same.

Gary sat up and looked at Eevee. "You know, Eevee, I really don't take the time to actually talk to my Pokémon. It's actually nice to just sit and talk."

"Eevee!" Eevee completely agreed.

Eevee finally looked up and put a paw on its trainer's lap.

A bit surprised, Gary took a moment to give his full attention to Eevee. "Wait, does that mean you actually want to just talk? Trainer to Pokémon?"

"Eevee! Eevee!" Eevee put a paw on Gary's arm and looked up at him. Now, its trainer was getting somewhere.

This whole time, Gary had the assumption that Pokémon just didn't care if they were treated as friends. As long as they were well cared for, friendship didn't matter a thing to them. This one particular Pokémon felt otherwise.

Looking out into the night, Gary started to consider Eevee's feelings. Soon, he started to feel tired and he could see Eevee was starting to feel tired too.

Gary stood up. "Thanks for keeping me company, Eevee, but we really got to get some sleep." Gary picked up his knapsack, threw it over his shoulder and proceeded back over to camp. Eevee immediately followed.

After returning Eevee to its Poke ball, Gary went back to sleep. Right before he fell asleep, he thought about how his Eevee was interested in what he had to say. He also thought about how assertive Eevee's agreement was when he made a comment about how nice it was to just sit and talk.

Another day of training came and went. The night wasn't as clear as it was last night. A few wispy clouds moved across the sky. The stars and the moon could still be seen in the sky, but the view wasn't as great as it was before.

This didn't persuade Gary from deciding that tonight would be a good night for a walk. He and his Pokémon had another long day of training. Tomorrow, Gary and his Pokémon were going to take it easy. He decided that he had time this night to stay up a little bit longer to take a little walk.

With the darkness of the night, Gary knew how dangerous it could be traveling alone at this hour. Wild nocturnal Pokémon lurked amongst the tall grass and in the forest. Gary made sure he had his full Pokémon team with him before he ventured out into the night. All of the Pokémon were in their Poke balls – Eevee included. Gary had gotten no more than a few yards before he pulled out Eevee's Poke ball. He contemplated the thought of having one of his Pokémon walk with him. Gary never had any of his Pokémon alongside him just for company – even his favorite ones.

"Why not?" Gary shrugged as he pulled out Eevee's Poke ball and released the Pokémon.

The little Pokémon seemed a bit surprised that it was released from its Poke ball. The only time Gary ever really let any of his Pokémon out was for training, a Pokémon battle, or to eat. It was too late for training or a Pokémon trainer versus trainer battle and everyone had already eaten.

"Well, I couldn't stop thinking about our talk last night." Gary smiled at Eevee. "I got to thinking maybe you'd like to join me for a little walk."

Eevee gave an eager reply. The Pokémon happily circled around its trainer who gave it an amused look. Gary never realized a Pokémon would actually want to just walk around with its trainer and enjoy the company like best friends.

Gary walked down the path with Eevee by his side for a whole two minutes or so without saying anything. It was just him and his Eevee enjoying their nighttime walk.

Finally, Gary spoke. "I'm really enjoying this Johto region. We've seen all kinds of new and interesting Pokémon. How about you, Eevee?"

"Eee! Eevee!" Eevee excitingly observed its surroundings. The sights of the night were breathtaking.

"Just wait until we run into even more trainers to battle and gym leaders to defeat!" Gary stared out into the darkness imagining the possibilities of this new region. The Silver Conference was still a way off, but every bit of training now would be worth it.

Gary looked at his Eevee. Just then, he remembered something his grandfather, Professor Oak, had told him. _All Pokémon have unique personalities. Therefore, it is important to treat each Pokémon as an individual._

Eevee definitely had a unique personality. Eevee was friendly, determined, and confident. More importantly, Eevee didn't see its trainer as just a trainer, but also as a friend. Eevee really looked up to Gary.

Maybe Eevee was just feeling hopeful, but Eevee felt that Gary was starting to change his perspective on training Pokémon. Eevee could tell that its trainer was considering what he had said before about his opinion on treating Pokémon as friends.

Gary wasn't used to sharing his feelings especially with his Pokémon. The quietness of the night felt inviting to talk though.

"You know, I think I really learned a lot since Kanto. I'm going to work really hard as a Pokémon trainer. Things are going to be different from what they were before. We're going to beat every trainer, gym leader, and later, every participant of the Silver Conference. This time, we're going to do it the right way. We're going to make winning worth it!"

Eevee nodded in complete agreement. Eevee was going to work hard to be the best Eevee that it could be. As far as evolution was concerned, Eevee had so many options. Would it be a fiery Flareon or maybe a mystifying Espeon? Right now, though, Eevee knew it was important to focus on the present.

It was time to turn around and head back. As Gary and Eevee headed back from their walk, a rustle was heard from the woods off the path. Eevee perked its ears up listening intently. Gary prepared to release one of his Pokémon. Both Pokémon and trainer could hear a low growl. There, just ten feet ahead, stood a wild Houndoom.

Gary swiftly reached for one of his Pokémon. It had to be one that would stand a good chance against a Houndoom.

"Blastoise!" With a flash of bright light, Gary's Blastoise appeared. The water type Pokémon stood ready to battle.

Just before Gary was about to call out an attack for Blastoise, he noticed that little Eevee now stood next to Blastoise geared up to battle this wild Houndoom as well.


	4. Chapter 4 Umbreon the Moonlight Pokemon

Gary was surprised at how quick Eevee was to spring into action at the ready. He smiled. No, with a confident and well trained Pokémon like Eevee, he shouldn't be surprised. He hoped Eevee was really feeling up to battle. Despite Eevee's hard work during the last battle, Gary and Eevee had lost that one. Gary had figured Eevee just needed a good rest and would be ready to battle and win after being energized. Of course, the Pokémon standing in front of them just had to be a Houndoom – the evolved form of Houndour –a Pokémon they had battled just days ago.

The night was quiet except for the low snarling of the wild Houndoom standing just ten feet away. Even though Gary was afraid, he did his best not to show it. He knew Pokémon were excellent on noticing fear. Not the one to jump into things, Gary summoned his Pokémon out not just to battle this Pokémon but also for protection. If that Houdoom would use an attack, Gary's Pokémon would be there at the ready.

"Blastoise. Eevee." Gary said barely above a whisper. "Hold up. We just may have walked into this Houndoom's territory." Gary had remembered reading one such book written by his grandfather, Professor Oak, that Houndoom as well as a few other Pokémon could be very territorial and that they traveled in packs. Gary took a deep breath at this realization. There could be more although it wasn't totally unheard of to see a lone Houndoom.

He considered walking past the wild Houndoom careful not to make eye contact. The sooner he got back to camp, the better. However, with the wild Houndoom and his Pokémon, Blastoise and Eevee standing their ground, Gary realized ignoring the wild Houndoom was not an option.

Now with Eevee wanting to battle as well, Gary contemplated on which of his Pokémon he wanted to use first. Blastoise being a water type did have the advantage against Houndoom, a dual dark and fire type.

Eevee had already proven to be a strong Pokémon in battle and Gary had worked hard training Eevee along with his other Pokémon. Realistically, Gary knew it wouldn't be easy for Eevee to win a battle against a wild Houndoom alone and this one looked to be of a high level. However, with Blastoise and Eevee working together, the chances of winning the battle would increase significantly.

"Blastoise, hydro pump!"

On command, Blastoise aimed his two water cannons at the Houndoom. Blastoise's hydro pump attack was a direct hit and had actually weakened it considerably from when it first started out. Yet, with Houndoom being of a high level, it still had plenty of fight in it. The Houndoom arched down and let out a fire blast attack.

Gary took a deep breath. This was one heck of a strong Pokémon. Now he was determined to win this battle plus he really wanted to get back to camp and call it a night. He looked at his Eevee and Blastoise. He could see the determination in their eyes.

"Eevee, use tackle!"

"Eeeveee!" Eevee ran as fast as it could towards the Houndoom its head bent down ready for a tackle attack. The Houndoom snapped its attention over to the little normal type Pokémon. Before the Houndoom could counter with an attack of its own, Eevee's tackle made a direct hit. The Houndoom fell back as Eevee stood confident waiting for its trainer's next command. Eevee itself was at a high level too.

"Awesome job, Eevee!" Gary called out. Eevee had really done so much better than it had ever done before. Eevee truly was learning and becoming stronger. Actually, as Gary realized, the both of them were – both trainer and Pokémon.

Distracted by this train of thought, Gary almost didn't notice the Houndoom preparing for another attack as it slowly got up. Blastoise and Eevee weakened it considerably, but Gary knew better than to let his guard down.

The Houndoom shot out another attack.

"Eevee, dodge it!" Gary called out. Eevee swiftly leapt to the side right in the knick of time. It wagged its tail confident its eyes focused on its opponent.

The Houndoom had just enough strength to pull off one more attack. This time, a dark pulse attack directed towards Eevee.

"Eevee! Double Edge!"

The Houndoom growled in frustration and tilted it's head at the sudden duplicates of Eevee surrounding it. The Houndoom scanned through the Eevees very carefully for what seemed to be a significant amount of time. And then it let out it's dark pulse attack. It hit the real Eevee right on target. Eevee fell back towards Gary.

"Eevee!" Gary cried with worry in his voice. "Blastoise, Help Eevee out! Hydro- cannon!"

Blastoise was prepared to use Hydro Cannon but was interrupted by Eevee.

Gary couldn't believe how determined his Eevee was. Here, Eevee had almost gotten knocked out by Houndoom's dark pulse attack yet it still wanted to battle. For a moment there, Gary felt really worried about Eevee. This Houndoom's attacks were strong and could easily deal significant damage to Eevee if it wanted to.

As a trainer, Gary knew how important it was to stay focused til the very end. He tried not to ponder in worry too much as that would affect the battle. "Well, Eevee, guess you don't give up that easily."

Eevee nodded very positive. In truth, Eevee wanted to make up for that previous battle that it lost.

Gary understood. He knew Eevee would continue battling til the very end. "Alright, Eevee! Quick attack!"

Eevee charged towards Houndoom once more with all the swiftness it had making a direct hit. The Houndoom stood still for a few seconds before finally fainting.

Momentarily, Gary couldn't believe it. Eevee. Defeated. Houndoom.

Gary then contemplated his next decision. He gave a confident grin as he pulled out an empty Poke ball and threw it towards the Houndoom "Poke ball, go!"

The Poke ball blinked once, twice, then finally three times. Gary went over to pick up the Poke ball. He had successfully captured Houndoom. It was the first Pokémon he had caught in Johto. Since he already had six Pokémon on his team, Houndoom would automatically be transferred to Professor Oak's lab. It was getting late though. It was really time to get back to camp and get some sleep. It was getting close to midnight.

Gary stretched and looked down at Eevee with a smile. "Well, Eevee, you were great! I don't think we could have won that battle without you."

Eevee wagged its tail proudly. "Eevee!"

Gary could see that even though his Eevee had a proud personality, it was also noticeably tired. "Let's head back to camp, Eevee, and call it a night." Instead of recalling Eevee inside its Poke ball, Gary decided to let Eevee continue walking alongside him as they continued back to camp.

Walking back, Gary thought about his concern for Eevee when it was hit directly by Houndoom's dark pulse attack. "I was really worried about you back there, Eevee." Gary bent down to scratch Eevee behind the ears looking straight up at the stars. The clouds were beginning to break revealing a starry moonlit sky.

Eevee froze and perked its ears up. Clearly, it knew that its trainer had always cared. However, at this moment in time, Eevee was hit with a brand new realization. The tone of Gary's voice was the same tone one would use to speak to a close friend. It was caring and reassuring. Gary and Eevee's bond was becoming stronger. It was a bond of newly found friendship. A glowing aura began to surround Eevee.

Gary snapped his attention towards his Eevee. "What!" he gasped despite the fact he knew exactly what was going on. His Eevee was evolving.

When the glowing subsided, Gary was looking at a sleek black somewhat cat- like Pokémon with glowing yellow rings around the bottom of its four legs, the base of it's tail and forehead.

Gary whipped out his Poké dex. "Umbreon – the Moonlight Pokémon, The dark type evolved form of Eevee. It prefers the night. Its rings also glow during attack. "

His Eevee had evolved into Umbreon.

Eevee's confident nature and fighting determination were still there.

Gary and his newly evolved Eevee finally made it back to camp.

"Well, Umbreon," Gary said, "I can't wait to get to a Pokémon center so I can tell my grandpa all about what happened in Johto already. But for right now, let's all try and get some sleep."

"Umbreon!" the moonlight Pokémon nodded in full agreement as Gary finally recalled it back to its Poke ball.

As Gary glanced up at the stars waiting for sleep, he couldn't help but to ponder about Eevee's evolution. Being the grandson of one of the most well known and respected professors – Professor Oak, Gary knew quite a bit about Pokémon already. Still as he had since learned, there was still a lot he didn't know. As soon as morning came, he would stop by the closest Pokémon center and give his grandfather an update on the exciting news.

* **The next morning** *

Gary had just dropped his Pokémon off to Nurse Joy at the Pokémon center so that they could rest and regain their strength. Especially, Blastoise and Umbreon. After receiving his Pokémon, he gave his grandfather as call right away.

"Good morning, Gary!" Professor Oak exclaimed. "It's good to see you! How are your travels in Johto?"

"Good morning, Grandpa," Gary said. "Me and my Pokémon are doing great! One of them actually evolved last night."

Professor Oak raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Well, that doesn't surprise me. You've always raised each of your Pokémon to be strong. Which one was it?"

Gary smiled as he pulled out a Poké ball and released Umbreon. "My Eevee evolved into Umbreon – the dark type version of Eevee."

"Umbreon!" Professor Oak said excitedly. "That's wonderful, Gary!"

Gary was a bit confused by his grandfather's sudden excitement when he told him his Eevee had evolved into Umbreon. "What's so special about Eevee evolving into Umbreon, Grandpa? Wouldn't any evolved form of Eevee be just as great?"

"Of course, all evolutions of Eevee are very unique in their own way," Professor Oak said. "But do you know how Eevee gets to evolve into Umbreon, Gary?"

Gary thought. Honestly, he didn't. Having just traveled to Johto, a great deal of its Pokémon were still new to him. "Does Eevee's evolution have anything to do with when it evolved? It makes sense that Eevee evolved into the dark type form at night since dark type Pokémon are more relevant at night."

Professor Oak nodded."Yes, That's a very good observation, Gary. Evolution must occur at night for an Eevee to evolve into Umbreon. If it had been in the daytime, your Eevee would have evolved into Espeon. However, there is one more important factor one needs for Eevee to successfully evolve into Umbreon."

"What's that, Grandpa?"

Professor Oak smiled. "Friendship."

"Friendship?"

"Yes. You see, Gary, a trainer must have a high level of friendship with their Eevee so that it can evolve into Umbreon. That means you and Eevee's bond has really become stronger and that you really care for it. And I wouldn't doubt this to be true with your other Pokémon."

Gary glanced down at his Umbreon who gave him a friendly stare. He smiled at Umbreon patting it on the head before shrugging.

"I still think training a Pokémon to be strong is important but now I see how friendship is important too. I just didn't realize how important it really was." His mind briefly shifted to how Ash had always mentioned how forming a bond with one's Pokémon was just as important as strength. He laughed to himself. He really didn't want to admit it, but Ash was right.

"I must say," Professor Oak said. "You've really come a long way as a trainer." The Kanto region Professor was glad that his grandson was finally becoming more humble and open minded about learning and improving as a trainer.

"Oh, yes!" Professor Oak added. "I almost forgot. I noticed that you caught a Houndoom recently."

"Yeah, just last night!" Gary said. "It's really strong. I never would have caught it if it weren't for Eevee and Blastoise."

"I see. So Eevee must have battled this wild Houndoom you just caught right before evolving."

"That's right." Gary said. "I've trained Eevee to be really strong but that Houndoom was of a really high level. Eevee was hit by Houndoom's dark pulse attack. Yet, somehow, Eevee pulled through to the very end and won the battle."

"Well, Eevee must have obviously noticed your concern. That very well could have helped your Eevee to evolve. Not to mention the great deal of battle experience it's had." Professor Oak said. "Your Houndoom will be safe here at the lab for whenever you may need it."

Gary nodded. "Thanks, Grandpa. I really wanted to tell you about my Eevee. I really should be going now."

"It was nice talking to you, Gary. Thank you for the update. I hope you realize how special it was for your Eevee to evolve into Umbreon."

Gary bent his head down giving a humble composure. He honestly knew now how special Eevee's evolution into Umbreon was. "I know. And I promise to grow and improve every single day as a trainer."

"That's the spirit. Never forget that everyone has room to improve. Even I'm learning new things everyday as a Pokémon professor. It was good talking to you, Gary."

As Gary walked out of the Pokémon center, he now had a new perspective as a Pokémon trainer. He thought about what his grandpa had said about Eevee's evolution. He really did care about his Eevee now Umbreon and all of his other Pokémon. There was no doubt that Gary and Umbreon's bond had only gotten stronger over time. He and Umbreon were going to continue to be a great team. He also cared about being one of the best trainers out there. He shifted his bag over his shoulder and walked on as confident as ever.


End file.
